


Stories of the Second Self: Keeping Tabs

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [64]
Category: Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:15:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22549171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: On her way between class periods, Miranda Imura realizes the spell she uses to hide her Fae features is weaken. After ducking into the library restroom to recast the illusion, Miranda remembers that she has an overdue book and tries turning it. The librarian, however, uses the moment as an excuse to extort from Miranda knowledge of magic or she'll spill the secret that Miranda strove to keep since first becoming a Fae. Miranda would get backup from the most unlikely of sources in Norwood High.
Series: Alter Idem [64]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Keeping Tabs

Her illusion spell was starting to thin, Miranda could see that much. She hurriedly rush into the library, one of her usual places to "freshen up" using the library's bathroom. However, that same redhead librarian eyed her with suspicion.

The woman wasn't much older than the kids at Miranda's high school, but she was mature, albeit weird. Before, Miranda noticed how the librarian also eyed Julian, Will, and other students oddly, like she knew something about each kid.

Something made Miranda pick up her pace into a trot, and she only breathed out the tension once inside the small restroom. In an afterthought, Miranda twisted the lock tab on the door, as it was a single-occupant unisex lavatory. She then went to the mirror to see that, sure enough, the illusion was weakening.

Mr. Donald, Miranda's history teacher had told her that while she could see through illusions they would still be visible to her. According to the online Fae group, it had something to do with how polarized light passed through the lens of a Fae's eye. It took concentration to distinguish between a fully effective illusion and one that was fading.

Miranda closed her eyes and imagined her sophomore class photo while brushing her hands through the air over her face and hair. Her right hand bumped one of her antlers, causing Miranda to lose focus for a second, but she restored the illusion. Inspecting the results, she saw that the bridge of her nose wasn't double-wide anymore, like a deer's and the image of her antlers were fully under the horizontal streaks of illusory light that offered a bare human forehead.

Then, Miranda started on her feet, seeing that the false high heel mirage also flickered, and her hooves shown through steadily. Once she had the that part of the spell restored, Miranda fine tuned the rest of her facial illusion.

Out of habit, Miranda still applied real makeup, but she didn't need much, relying on her innate Fae spellcraft to handle most of it. After, she pulled her brush out of her backpack and touched up her hair, turning her head one way and then the other for close inspection.

Putting the brush away, Miranda noticed the book she had checked out more than five weeks ago. The school allowed checkouts of two weeks and only a single one-week extension. Miranda forgot to ask for that. She owed dues on it, but she wasn't finished.

Miranda meant to read the rest of the book on old myths of Europe, but her homework and social life took up too much of her attention. Yet, since she was here she might as well face the music and turn it in. The book didn't offer any insights into being a real Fae, as the portrayals in old fables didn't match up.

Miranda, cool and collected now, walked out of the restroom, passing the new kid, Mark in between two book shelves reading something. Stepping up to the desk, Miranda tried her best apologetic tone while passing over the overdue book. "I know I held onto this way too long. Can I still turn it in and just pay the fine?"

The young librarian took it from Miranda, but turned it over to skim the back before remarking, "That's the third book of fables I've seen you check out. Was it helpful?"

That made Miranda's heart jump up into her throat, and she stared at the woman just long enough to see that she was in fact human without illusions around her. "Not really. I think I'm just going to do something different for my English paper."

"That's not why you wanted it," the librarian challenged lightly with a smirk but inquiring eyes. "It's not like this school is carrying real spell books."

"Just tell me what the fine is, please," Miranda said, "I can't have my grades withheld because of this."

"Suppose I don't log that you paid the fine?" the librarian dared ask.

"But," Miranda paused, growing more fearful by the second, "But you have to. I got my credit card on me, and I can cover all of it."

"Are you learning any other spells?" the redhead inquired, while opening the book up to thumb through it.

"I'm a little too old to be playing pretend," Miranda replied, hoping to disguise her fear with snark.

"Ah-heh," the librarian scoffed with a soft, but disbelieving tone, before looking up again, "So, you could keep playing footsies on this or you could just come out and admit you're a Fae. You're not the only one around here, you know."

"Come on," Miranda forced herself to sound convincing, "There's no such thing," and then she backed up and turned sideways, "Do you see a little tail there? No. So just let me pay the fine, please."

"The fine is you teach me the spells you know," the red-head answered and set the book aside. "Or the whispers about you will start around."

"No one's going to believe you," Miranda threw back defiantly, and then quickly looked around for who might hear.

"Mr. Donald certainly will believe it," the redhead said, "And Julian, Will, Ron, and dozens of other kids who're also hiding what they are. Mr. Donald might even be disappointed in you, if he thinks you're the one spreading rumors about Fae around school just to make yourself special instead of a freak."

"Please don't," Miranda begged, her pretense of bravery gone.

"Tell me what you know, and this problem goes away," the librarian suggested, tilting her gaze toward the overdue book.

"Hey, don't you have a kid to boil in your cauldron or something?" Mark said, coming up from behind Miranda.

That made the redhead shy in turn, and she quickly scooped up the book to file away and, as Miranda noticed, typed into the computer that the fine was paid. Then she heard coins on the counter and a couple bills thrown down.

Miranda looked to Mark, who was putting his wallet away. After, the librarian walked back to her office in a brisk pace.

"Don't tell me you heard that," Miranda was again pleading.

"Every word," Mark confessed, and thumbed behind himself. “From way back there, no less."

"Oh god!" Miranda sighs and looked up with desperation. "Don't tell anybody, please."

"Oh I won't," Mark replied, and turned his head enough to reveal the scalp hair growing down his neck, "Got my own issues goin' on."

"Why are all the boys in school imitating Ron's style now?" Miranda asked.

"What?" that drew Mark up short, "Seriously? I can't stand that punk. First time I even heard of him is when he started a fight with me. I had this since I was six. Kinda goes with the hearing an' all else. Beats having a rack on my head, though."

"Shhh!" Miranda gnashed at him, and looked around again. "God!"

"There's no one else around," Mark answered, though held up his hands apologetically.

"And don't ask me out to the prom," Miranda suddenly realized why he'd be so quick with her book dues. "Julian already did, and I said yes."

"The hell?" Mark looked confused, and then caught on, "Ohh. No, I don't actually do school dances. I think they're silly. Especially ones in this school. I've been to five other high schools and this one definitely has the corniest crap goin' on."

"How do you know about my antlers?" Miranda leaned in to whisper.

"I can't see them, but I know they're there," Mark answered, and then waved at his nose. "It's the scent. Hooves too, for that matter. Well anyway, I gotta go. I'll see 'ya around school, and I promise my lips are zipped."

"Thanks for covering me," Miranda said, and eyed the librarian glaring at her from the office.

"No biggie," Mark replied, turning away, but spun back around, "Don't worry about paying me back either. I just hate seeing people bullied."

With that, Mark was out the door and down the hall. The stories Miranda read on the Fae forum must've been true. There were werewolves in town. A lot of them, from all the chatter and photos she'd seen posted online. Figures, what with a city named Norwood.


End file.
